Avoiding Syncretism

Syncretism is the reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief.

Syncretism is something that is even present in Western Christianity. But it is often easy for us to see syncretism in other cultures. One of these cultures is in societies that practice animism. How to we present the gospel in animistic societies while avoiding syncretism. 

In our culture we tend to think of things individually, but in many other cultures including animistic ones their thinking is very holistic. In the western world when Christianity is taught it often deals with cosmological questions such as; our origin, destiny, and the meaning of life. Many other cultures on the other hand are more concerned with practical everyday issues such as illness, death, drought, financial success, and romance. This results in Christians that follow Christ in the way of cosmological issues but when it comes to the everyday issues they resort to the traditional way of thinking. 

This can be avoided by communicating the Bible in a holistic way. Making sure to address the big issues and question of the community. It is also important to make sure that you contextualize the gospel for the culture of the society you are working with. If people have to change their culture for the gospel they are more likely just to change the gospel to suit their culture. 

Aint No Mountain High Enough

One of the things we are going to be doing in Cameroon is climbing Mount Cameroon. It is also known by it’s native name of Mongo ma Ndemi ("Mountain of Greatness"). Mt. Cameroon’s elevation is 13,255 ft. It is actually one of Africa’s largest volcanoes. Mt. Cameroon has the most frequent eruptions of any West African volcano. It’s last known eruption was in 2000. (Hopefully it won’t erupt again until after we have climb it!)  

Volcanic craters on Mount Cameroon.

And the Greatest of these is love

"A new command I give you: 

Love one another. As I have loved you, 

so you must love one another."

John 13:34

There are countless verses in the New Testament telling us as believers to love one other. But what does it really mean to love one another. This is something I have really been learning about this year. One of the great things about living in dorm is the community, but sometimes it is really hard seeing the same people all the time. Sometimes there are people I just don’t want to love. There are times that someone has unintentionally hurt me in some way and the last thing I want to do is show them love. I have learned that love is a choice. Love isn’t just a feeling you feel towards certain people. There is always going to be some people that you just naturally click with and are easy for you to love. But God doesn’t call us just to love these people. God has called us to love everyone this even means those who may have hurt you. Even on the days when you don’t feel any love towards a person it is so important to show love towards them. 

I’ve been thinking about this for awhile. I’ve realized that keeping this in mind as actually made things easier. Before I really started thinking about how love is a choice there would be days when I just didn’t feel like being loving. But now I have realized that loving one another isn’t showing your feelings at that particular moment it is about making a choice to love that person each day. 

Jiggers!

While we are in Cameroon we will have to be careful to watch out for these things called Jiggers which burrow beneath your toe nails and are very unpleasant to remove.  (I really really hope I don't get them)

Here is some information I have found on them.

Jigger (or harvest mite): larval mite that sucks the blood of vertebrates including human beings causing intense irritation

Jiggers like to live on the dust on the ground you walk on and from there get into your feet and other parts of your body.

The way they remove them here is to take a small stick of bamboo, sharpen it and pierce the skin around the Jigger, once all the skin is removed and the Jigger is exposed it is fairly easy to pry it out (except for the last bit where the Jigger bites itself into your skin, so you have to pull a bit there). It is very important to get a Jigger out in one piece (and not pierce its egg sack) to avoid a secondary infection. 

Markers of Witness

Acts 9:12-16 

-The Lord sends Ananias to Saul, even though he did not want to because of Saul’s reputation on persecuting Christians  

Sometimes God is going to ask us to do things we really don’t want to do. God came for all peoples, Jesus died for all even the ones who may persecute you now. We need to be willing to follow God’s leading. 

Acts 13:3 

-Some are sent out while other stay and be a witness where they are

We are called to be witnesses wherever we are, but some are specifically called out to go somewhere else to bring the message of Christ. 

Acts 13:16

-Preaching God’s whole story progress of redemption not just the story of Jesus 

It is important to show God’s whole story not just the part of it relieved in the life of Jesus. In the book of Acts the apostles are often preaching from the Old Testament and showing how Jesus fits in.  

Consuming Love

"Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, 

   for his compassions never fail."

Lamentations 3:22

I came across this verse in the fall when I was reading through the Old Testament. This verse really just hit me, I really like the wording they use in the NIV translation.  In the NIV it says “we are not consumed” but in some other translations such as the ESV it says “never ceases”. 

It is because of God’s great love for us that we are not consumed by sin, there is freedom because of his love. In John 8:34 it says that “everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” So how do we become free from sin? God sent the solution to that! John 8:36 “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” When God sent Jesus, He sent away for us to be free. There are so many things in the world that could easily consume us we are so easily entangled by sin, and we become consumed with things of this world instead of thing of God. Without God’s love and God’s help it would be impossible for us to live in freedom from things of this world. 

The last part of the verse is something that I am always having to remind myself. God’s compassion never fails. Even though we live in a broken world and sometimes God allows terrible things to happen to those He loves He stills feels compassion for them He hurts when we hurt. When Lazarus dies, Jesus wept not because He was sad He’d never see Lazarus again, for He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. He wept because he felt compassion for Lazarus’ sisters. God knows that all things will work together for good (Romans 8:28). Yet He feels compassion for us while we are in a season for broken heartedness.  

God’s compassion will never fail. God is close to the broken hearted, and weeps when we weep. 

With the freedom I have received from

God, how could I chose not to

Worship 

Bakossi

Bakossi is one of two people groups we will be working with in Cameroon. 

Language: Akoose 

Over 90% of the New Testament is translated into the Akoose language

Population: 129,000

Much of the area is agricultural with major food crops being coco yam, cassava, and some corn.

Many of Bakossi Christians are not well rooted in the Christian faith, so a good number of them are tied to traditional religious practices

Sources joshuaproject cabtal

All who are weary

"Come to me, all you who are weary 

and burdened and I will give you

rest"

Matthew 11:28

I feel like so often we come across verses or passages in the Bible and we think to ourselves “Oh, this’s a nice verse”. I so often say to that I will rely on God’s strength, yet I hardly ever do. It is like some many biblical truths I will say how great that is but I don’t actually believe them in my heart and in time of struggles I don’t draw on these biblical truths. It was yesterday that I really learned the value of what this says. 

I had hardly slept at all because I had horrible nightmares so I woke up yesterday feeling like I had hardly slept and I was just so overwhelmed by the amount of work that I needed to get. I just felt like hiding under a rock for a few days. One of my friends told me to go look up Matthew 11:28. When I read it I just felt just a peace that I haven’t felt before reading that. I realized that I’m not alone in this world I have Jesus to help me with all these things, this isn’t my burden to carry alone. With help from God I can do all the things I need to do. 

I can find my rest in Jesus.